Dustin Pedroia backs Kevin Youkilis

Although he does not wear the captain’s “C” on his jersey, Dustin Pedroia is considered the de facto leader in the Red Sox clubhouse.

So, when manager Bobby Valentine seemed to call into question Kevin Youkilis’s commitment Sunday night that the Sox third baseman wasn’t “physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason,’’ Pedroia stepped up and his support for Youkilis.